Nothing happened but.......you never know! by CassandraI was out riding one day, (no helmet)it was just a short ride and I didn't think I'd need a helmet. On the way home I was stopped by an older friend of mine and he asked why I wasn't wearing a helmet, I said "it was just a short ride nothing could happen" (how naive I was!) He told me about a friend of his that had gone out for a "short ride" one day,(without helmet) and since that day has never been on a horse, due to the fact she is paralyzed from the neck down. That scared me some, I wore a helmet after that, but still didn't see the point.
One day while jumping (with helmet) my usually quiet and gentle mare spooked and stopped dead at the jump, causing me to be thrown over her head. I injured my arm hitting the jump (and would have injured my head if not for the helmet) and since that day I have always worn a helmet and made sure anyone around my horses does as well. Another incident was when the same mare went through a fence that she didn't see (while I was on her, with my helmet)and landed on her side (on my leg as well). She is not a heavy horse and didn't break my leg, but tore some ligaments in the knee area. probably would have cracked my skull though if I hadn't have been wearing a helmet, my head crashed into the ground.
Let me stress this to anyone involved in horses, ALWAYS WEAR A HELMET NO MATTER HOW INCONVENIENT IT MAY SEEM. IT COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE! Cassandra